physical issue or anxiety?

[ItWillPass]

I went to a doctor yesterday who told me that he does not believe I am only suffering from anxiety. He believes I may have narcolepsy. When I went to an ear doctor for my ear pressure and vertigo, he said he believes I may have meneires disease. They say that my headaches are chronic migraines.

My question is this: Would you rather have a medical reason for all of your symptoms, or would rather believe it is all just anxiety?

[ItWillPass]

are people allowed to reply to polls? Id love to hear some thoughts about this.


Heidi

__________________________________________________ __________________________________
"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, never settle for the path of least resistance... When you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance"

"This too shall pass..."

[EebyJeeby]

Whilst I was very acute with health anxiety, I really needed to hear that my symptoms were for a medical reason, not just anxiety.

Now I understand more about stress and anxiety and how they affect us physically, I would rather be diagnosed with anxiety. Although anxiety is a tough one to face and to treat, I think it takes a journey of personal discovery to beat it and that, in its own way, is a bit of a gift.

Being diagnosed with a medical problem, although a relief in that we're not "going mad" then, leaves us with a medical problem to contend with, which might not be all that straightforward. Plus we still have some anxiety left, some niggling doubts.

Anxiety is you exercising mind over matter in a negative way (i.e. your feelings and thoughts affect you physically - you get all the horrid symptoms). Once we recognise that we have that power, then why not turn it around and make our feelings and thoughts affect our bodies and lives in a positive way?

That's what I believe anyway.

Eeb x

[jodie]

hi
i have health anxiety and have thought of lots of things that might be wrong with me and most of the time the doc puts it down to anxiety,but i allways think i am masking a real problem and the doc isent seeing it

jodie x

[Phill2]

I once said to my counsellor that I'd rather a physical illness than this and she replied "I have a patient with Motor Neurones disease. Would you like to swap with him?"
Made me reassess my situation pretty quickly
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.

[mum2four]

I think people with anxiety have 2 main issues that get in there way of the right diagnoise .

1 being that Dr try to dismiss every thing off as there anxiety once diagnoised as we dont really get sick like other do.

2 That we might have some serious issues wrong becuase it's hard to seperate the anxiety symptoms from the real symtom's.

[Rennie1989]

I would rather have anxiety then to suffer from actual medical issues because I already suffer from two: scoliosis (curved spine) with constant pain and a fibrocyst lump in my breast which hasn't been examined by an ultra sound yet. This causes my anxiety too.

Scooties Back

[Shaz]

Hi,
I think it's bad enough worrying about having something wrong. So I would rather, just have anxiety and be otherwise healthy.

Shaz

What cannot be fitted into your day, cannot be done - forget about it!

[feege]

Yes I agree basically with Eebs...

But it does depend on the problem/diagnosis, for example now I know I have a hiatus hernia and duodenitis I can take the right medication but for 20 years I had been told the acid pains and chest pains were anxiety - I am now finally getting them under control.

Bottom line is I don't care what the cause I just want rid of the symptoms!!!!



Fee xxxxxx
www.like2like.com

Why live life anticipating the bad things when you could be anticipating the good?
Good and bad things WILL happen!

[Magpie]

Oops, I got the wrong end of the stick - I hadn't read the post before I voted and thought the poll meant do you have a medical problem or just anxiety. I voted medical problem, but I'd definitely rather just have anxiety because anxiety alone can be easier to sort out in time than a medical problem.

Having said that, when I was diagnosed as having a genetic anxiety disorder (I also suffer from mild narcolepsy and migraines like you Heidi - I've often wondered if this is actually some kind of syndrome) I was actually quite glad because it made me feel it wasn't just 'in my head' and also allowed me to absolve myself of responsibility because it wasn't just a case of me needing to learn to cope better. Of course this is a daft way of thinking, it obviously comes from the stigma that exists against mental health problems and I'm kind of ashamed of myself for thinking that way now.

[Freaky Chick]

I am a nurse - and despite my better knowledge and training on mental health issues - now i am on the receiving end, i can certainly say i would rather have a medical reason for my anxiety, as i would be able to see a time frame for getting better and being able to go back to normal life.

I find it ever so frustrating that i can't "fix it" get it sorted and get better - everything is going far to slowly for my liking. In fact - the last 2 weeks have been really bad, almost as bad as when i got ill in the first place.

Freaky

[Southern_Belle]

I have had anxiety since childhood and for as long as I can remember. Now, I have many physical issues to deal with that are chronic, many of which cause physical pain that never goes away. One of my issues involves my thyroid which makes my anxiety worse so a double whammy. Personally, I would much rather just have anxiety.

Laura

[Dooges]

I voted anxiety, but really I'm still on the fence. I know I have a cancer fear anxiety. If you have the time read my other post.
You see I havent been diagnosed with anything yet ( except my removed skin cancer 5 months ago ) but I've been having stomach problems and I think it is related to the anxiety. But not knowing is making me worry, which fuels the anxiety which fuels the stomach problem. The viscious circle. IF I have something physically wrong with me, I get clarification, tomorrow actually ( colonoscopy yes I know the prep is hell ) but the wait is so nerve racking.
If they find nothing, something tells me that I do have the will power to overcome it. I hate this limbo.

[tulip123]

I would rather have a rather minor medical problem causing anxiety or anxious feelings rather than just anxiety. Anxiety is rather more unpredictable and harder to control. Thankfully in my case, after many years, I have got to the bottom of my anxiety after getting the doctors (and well meaning others) to see past it as an easy diagnosis. It turned out I had a stomach problems (from endoscaphy) which is now under control. I wish I knew this some years back as untreated it has caused me a lot of misery. Not everything is just anxiety!!!!!!!

Tulip

[milly jones]

for me knowing that i have medical conditions lies much more easily than saying i have anxiety and depression

being able to explain to people that i have a personality disorder for me is far more acceptable than saying its a menatl illness

guess ive still got a long way to go to full acceptance of my difficulties

mind u thats miles in front of my hb, who still thinks it will just go away given time

milly xx

[marie123]

heloo well basicallly i think im a very nice person but if i had to labe myself it would be a worrier i constantley worry about so many things and had a hard time in the past but i never thought it would get this bad i didnt no life was so cruel to make people feel like this i use to think i was bad before but im totally differnt now it affects me day to day and i try and get out and go to college but its just constantley on my mind nothing can take it of my mind! .. i take things to far i always think like i got a brain tumour oh something bad is going to happen because i get this awful feeling as if nothingssss the same as be fore and i feel a bit confuzzed ive been to the doctors because i had a panic attack! then they refered me to a physcolagist and he said its anxiety but its hard to believe him i think that they have missed something out and they just saying that to me its made me a different person i dont feel myself atall and i dont think help can change this but i hope it do someone please reply if you feel the same would be very helpful!

[andrea568]

Hi, I am a narcoleptic, I was born with it but only diagnosed a few years ago, I always knew what it was but it wasn't recognised until 2000 so before that doctors would either put you on anti-depressents or send you to a psychiatric ward. I was lucky as I went to America when I was young for diagnosis so I always fought my doctors here.

I fall asleep, on average, about 10-50 times a day without medication. I take zopiclone at night to regulate my night sleep and provigil in the day to keep me awake.

Before I started medication I fell asleep all the time in the day and didn't sleep at night, people always asume that your night sleep must be good but it isn't, it's either non-existent or broken.

If you fall asleep without warning then it does sound like a mild case of Narcolepsy, but there are lots of different types of Narcolepsy,a lot of people have a specific view with what they read or see on the TV but there are many different effects... mine is cataplectic Narcolepsy with associated hypersomnia, which means I've woken up to find myself in a morgue twice.

You really need to get yourself a good GP.

Unfortunately being diagnosed with Narcolepsy will end life as you know it, I was a Chemistry Professor, I lost my Job, my Driving Licence, respect, a lot. I've even had people sit elsewhere on the train after I've fallen asleep then had to say I'm a Narcoleptic!! I reckon they must think I'm saying I'm a leper!!!

Think long and hard before you chase a diagnosis, sleeping tablets would be a start to regulate your sleep at night but you really need to go to a sleep clinic. Hypersomnia on it's own can cause a lot of problems and sometimes people get Glandular fever and get Narcolpetic like symptoms for years while the virus stays in their bloodstream.

I have had attacks in public and have been laughed at and ridiculed, have had strange people attempt to give me mouth to mouth, have had people stick their dirty fingers in my mouth, I've been arrested twice for being drunk and disorderly when I was actually having an attack.

My answer would be, I wish it was anxiety rather than physical!!!

I hope this helps.

Andrea xx

[Casey]

I would rather know for sure it is anxiety. Because I mainly have health anxiety and feel every day that I am going to die of heart problems (despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary). If I knew it was anxiety then it could not kill me, and I'm very afriad of dying.

[janeybaby25]

when I was at the height of my anxiety, I so wanted them to give me a medical reason for how I felt as I refused that just anxiety could make me feel so bad and I figured if they could give me medication for whatever was up with me I would feel ok. But now I have my anxiety under control I am glad its not an actual medical thing. xx

[leeann]

No I would much prefer to hear its my anxiety. the thought of having some thing wrong with me is to hard to handle. Im terrified of leaving my little girl and partner. x

[Sophie85]

both

[Missy69]

Tough question that,
I think both really but have voted just anxiety, thats cause im a chicken with illnesses, so better the devil you know for me !